anderson



June 14, H L HARTZELL IGNITION APPARATUS Filed Dec. 51, 1930 Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERMAN L. HARTZELL, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T DELCO-REMYOOBPORA- 'IION, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE IGNITION APPAI ZATUS Application filed December 81, 1930. Serial No. 505,804.

This invention relates to ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines and includes among its objects the provision of means whereby satisfactory ignition will be provided under all conditions of cranking and running, particularly when running at high speed and when cranking the engine with a starting motor using current from the same battery that supplies current for ignition purposes.

This aim of the present invention is accomplished in the disclosed embodiment thereof by a booster induction coil which is automatically rendered operative during cranking of the engine to assist the regular ignition coil in providin satisfactory ignition. During the running of the engine the booster coil is non-operative until a predetermined high speed is attained or such a time when the closing period of the circuit interrupter timer contacts is so brief that the current which passes through the primary winding of the regular ignition coil is insufficient for satisfacto ignition.

In the disclosed embo iment of the invention the automatic means for controlling the booster induction coil comprises an electrodynamic switch having an electro-magnetic field energized in response to the voltage of the current source and having a. coil movable in the field and responsive to current flowing in the primary winding of the regular ignition coil.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present the l ne 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the booster coil structure.

. .Referring to Fig. 1, 20 designates the conventional ignition timer or circuit interrupter comprising a cam 21 which operates a lever 22 carrying a movable contact 23 cooperatin with a stationary contact 24 grounde at 25. The contact 23 is urged toward the contact 24 by leaf spring conductor 26 connected with a condenser 27 grounded at 28 and connected with a terminal 29.

Terminal 29 is connected with the primary winding 31 of an ignition coil having a secondary winding 32 grounded through the primary winding and connected by wire 33 with the center contact 34 of an ignition distributor 35 which includes a rotor 36 connectible with any one of a circular row of distributor posts 37 connected with spark plu s 38.

, erminal 29 is connected with a booster induction coil 40 connected with a terminal 41 connected by a wire 42 with a contact 43 engageable with a movable contact 44 connected by wire 45 with a clip 46 which is connected with one end of a movable coil 47, the ends of which are connected by wires 48 and 49 with terminals 50 and 51 respectively. Terminal 51 is connected by a wire 52 with the primary winding 31 and secondary winding 32 of ignition coil 30. Terminal 50 is connected with an electro-magnet winding 53 connected with terminal 54 and surrounding a core 55. Terminal 54 provides for making a ground connection 56. Terminal 50 is connected by a wire 57 and switch 58 with a battery 59 grounded at 60.

Wire 58 is connected by a switch 63 with an electric motor 61 grounded at 62. Wire 58 is connected by cut-out relay 109 with a generator 110 grounded at 111.

The structure of the electro-dynamic switch shown in the'diagram will now be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive. The core carrying the electromagnet winding 53 is mounted upon a base or end wall 70 of magnetizable material attached to a 'magnetizable shell 71 carrying an annular pole piece 72 whose inner cylindrical surface 73 is concentric with the outer cylindrical surface of the core 55 and is spaced therefrom to provide an air gap which receives the movable coil 47 mounted upon a coil tube 74 of non-magnetizable material and attached to a non-magnetic flange 75 and to a non-magnetic disc 76. This coil tube 74 is maintained concentrically within the air gap by three U-shaped spring metal supports 77 each having an end attached to the flange 75 and to the pole piece 72, and by three U-shaped spring metal supports 78 each having an end attached to the pole piece 72 and an end attached to the disc 76. The coil 47 is constructed of enameled wire so that its turns are insulated from one another and from the tube 74. Screws a are threaded into the base 70 and pass through plain holes in pole piece 72 which bears against a shoulder 720 provided by the shell 71. By tightening the screws 70a, the. pole piece 72 is clamped against the shoulder 72a, and the shell 71 is c amped against the base 70.

The contact 44 is mounted on a U-shaped clip 80 attached by rivets 81 to the disc 76 but insulated therefrom. The clip 80 rovides a hook 82 for receiving one end 0 the wire 45. The contact 43 is mounted adjacent the free end of a leaf spring member 85, the fixed portion of which has apertured ears 86 in alignment ears 87 of a J-shaped bracket 88 attached by screws 89 to the pole piece 72 but insulated therefrom. The bracket 88 screw-threadedly supports a screw 90 locked in the desired position of adjustment by washer 91 which also secures to the bracket 88 a clip 92 connected with one end of the wire 42. The screw 90 has a portion 93 reduced in diameter located between the end of the screw threaded portion and a shoulder portion 94. This portion 93 is lo cated in a notch 95 provided by the leaf spring 85. The leaf spring 85 is biased. so as to tend to maintain the contact 43 carried by it in engagement with the contact 44 during movement of the coil carrier disc 76 toward the left until the end of the spring 85 strikes the shoulder part 94 of the screw 90. In this way the separation of contacts is not effected by slight movement of the coils 47 but only after a certain predetermined movement of the coil 47 has taken place toward the left from the position shown in Fig. 3.

. Referring to Fig. 6 the booster induction coil 40 is wound in layers varying in length, the longest layer being adjacent to the paper tube 100 upon which the coil is wound and the shortest layer being outermost. The tube 100 carrying the coil is mounted on a core 101 comprising a bundle of magnetizable strips. The windings are surrounded by a wrapping of slitted magnetizable material 102. This assembling of parts is placed within a metal case 103 and one end thereof rests against a plate 104 of magnetizable material. Before the cover 105 is placed on the case 100 the case is filled with a sealing compound which occupies all of the vacant spaces not occupied by the coil and magnetizable material. The cover 105 carries an insulating plate 106 carrying the terminals 107 and 108 to which the ends of the coil 40 are attached.

The mode of operation of the invention is as follows: Normally, the coil 47 is so located by the spring supports 77 and 78 that the contact 44 is held in engagement with the' contact 43 thereby causing the booster coil 40 to be connected in parallel with the primary winding 31 of the regular ignition coil 30. The movement of the coil 47 in the field produced by the magnet winding 53 sufficiently to separate the contact 44 from the contact 43 depends on the voltage impressed upon the field winding 53 of the electro-dynamic switch and upon the current passing through the movable coil 47. During the normal running of the engine at speeds up to a certain predetermined high speed the current flowing through the movable coil 47 and the primary coil 31 at the instant of separation of the interrupter contacts 23 and 24, and the voltage impressed upon the winding 53 by the battery 59 or by its charging generator 110 are such that the coil 47 will move sufiiciently toward the coil 53 to cause the contact 44 to be separated from the contact- 43. Hence, under normal conditions ignition will be supplied through the agency of the regular ignition coil alone.

During the cranking of the engine at which time the battery charging generator 110 is disconnected by the cut-out relay 109 the battery is required to provide current for operating the starting motor 61 as well as current for ignition purposes. Under these conditions the voltage of the battery will be materially reduced when the starting switch 63 is closed. Hence, the mag netic field induced by the winding 53 will be materially less in density. Therefore, although the closing period of the timer contacts is relatively greatwhile cranking so as to permit the building up of current in the ignition primary to the desired amount, the current flow will be materially reduced owing to the reduction in battery voltage. Under these conditions the booster coil switch will remain closed to connect the booster coil in parallel with the ignition coil primary. Consequently, when the timer contacts separate the energy of the coil 40 will be discharged to supplement the energy of the coil 31 in order to produce satisfactory ignition during the cranking of the engine.

The booster coil 40 is rendered operative also at certain high speeds to assist the ignition coil in producing satisfactory ignition when the period of contact closing of the ignition timer is too short for the build ing up of sufiicient current in the ignition 60 rupter primary 31 for the production t satisfactory ignition. Under these conditions when the current maximum in the coil 31 falls below a certain value the current in the coil 47 will be below the same value and there will be less magnetic influence tending to cause the coil 47 to remain in a position for maintaining the contact 44 out of engagement with the contact 43. This magnetic influence having diminished the spring brackets 77 and 78 will return the coil 47 into position for closing the contacts 44 and 43. Therefore, above certain engine speeds the booster coil will be rendered operative to assist the regular ignition coil to produce satisfactory ignition.

From the foregoing description of the construction and mode of operation of the ignition apparatus, it is apparent that an important feature is that of providing means responsive to the wattage output of the curv rent source to the ignition coil for controlling the circuit of the booster induction coil. Since this means is responsive both to voltage and current, the apparatus is enabled to provide satisfactory ignition for engine cranking and for engine running at high speed. When the voltage of the current source is low, as it usually is during crank- 80 ing, the booster ignition coil is operative to assist the regular ignition coil. Although the voltage of the. current source may be normal at high engine speeds the current maximum in the ignition coil primary has been 85 reduced due to the relatively short closing period of the ignition timer contact. The electro-dynamic switch takes care of this condition since it is responsive to the value of current in the ignition coil primary as so well as to the potential impressed upon it.

While the-form of embodiment o the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows: 1. Ignition apparatus comprising in combination an ignltlon coil including a primary winding, a current source, a circu1t interrupter o from the source through t e primary wind ing, a booster induction coil and means responsive to the wattage output of the current source to the primary windin for controllin 85 the connection between the g 5 primary winding.

2. Ignition ap aratus comprising in combination an lgDItIOIICOil including a primary winding, a current source, a circuit interor controlling the passage of current from the source through the primary winding, a booster induction coil, and an electrodynamic switch responsive to vol impressed upon and to current flowing t ugh the ignition primarywinding for controlling ooster coil an Y the connection of the booster coil with the primary winding.

3. Ignition apparatus comprising in combination an ignition coil including a primary winding, a current source, a circuit interrupter or controlling the passage of current from the source through t e primary winding, a booster induction coil, a air of cooperatin contacts in the circuit 0 the booster coil, an e ectro-magnet havin sive to the voltage impresses upon the rimarywinding, a coil movable in the fiel of the electro-magnet and responsive to current in the primary winding for controlling the separation of the contacts in the booster coil circuit, and means for separating the contacts in response to movement of the movable coil.

4. Ignition apparatus comprising in combination an ignition coil including a primary winding, a current source, a circuit interrupter for controllin the passage of current from the source is rough the primary winding, a booster induction coil, a pair of cooperatin contacts in the circuit of the booster coi an electro-magnet having a coil responsive to the voltage impressed u on the primary winding, a coil movable in t e field of the electro-magnet and responsive to current in the primary winding for controlling the separation of the contacts in the booster coil circuit, a coil .tube supporting the movable coil and carrying one of .the contacts, and yieldable means sup orting the coil tube and normally resilient y maintaining the contacts in engagement.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

HERMAN L. HARTZELL.

r controlling the assage of current I a coil respon- 

